page_title: NC State Wolfpack football
section_title: Chuck Amato era (2000–2006)
hierarchical_section_title: NC State Wolfpack football / History / Chuck Amato era (2000–2006)
caption_attribution_description: Philip Rivers, American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers
context_page_description: The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in the sport of American football. The Wolfpack competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Prior to joining the ACC in 1953, the Wolfpack were a member of the Southern Conference. As a founding member of the ACC, the Wolfpack has won seven conference championships and participated in 31 bowl games, of which the team has won 17, including eight of their last 11. NC State is currently coached by Dave Doeren.
  Since 1966, the Wolfpack has played its home games at Carter–Finley Stadium. On September 16, 2010, NC State restored the tradition of having a live mascot on the field. A wolf-like Tamaskan Dog named
  “Tuffy” was on the sidelines for the Cincinnati game that day in Raleigh and Tuffy has not missed a Wolfpack football game in Carter–Finley Stadium since.
context_section_description: In 2000, longtime college football assistant and NCSU alum Chuck Amato was hired as State's head football coach. Although Amato had no head coaching or coordinating experience, NCSU felt that Amato's 18-year tenure as defensive line coach under Bobby Bowden at Florida State, winning two national championships, would help boost recruiting, ticket sales, and program prestige.
  Amato accumulated an overall record of 49–37, including a record of 34–17 during the four-year period from 2000 through 2003 while Philip Rivers was the Wolfpack's starting quarterback. Amato's most successful season was in 2002 when the Wolfpack won a school-record 11 games and defeated Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl. That team finished ranked #12 in the AP poll, their highest final ranking in 29 years.
  Amato's tenure in Raleigh crested after Rivers graduated and left for the NFL. The Wolfpack finished 5–6 in 2004, 7–5 in 2005, and 3–9 in 2006. On November 26, 2006, Amato was fired by NC State athletics director Lee Fowler after a seven–game losing streak capped off the 2006 season. Noted losses include an upset by Akron, a third straight loss to archrival North Carolina, and a loss at home to East Carolina. Highlights of the 2006 season include wins against Boston College and Florida State. In a statement, Fowler acknowledged Amato's "excitement and enthusiasm." He continued, "This enthusiasm fueled an $87 million renovation to Carter–Finley Stadium." Nonetheless, mediocre 2005 and 2006 seasons led to the decision "to take the program in a new direction." Even with Rivers as quarterback, Amato's teams never won more than five games in conference play, and actually finished six games under .500 in ACC play.
caption: Philip Rivers played at NCSU from 2000–2003
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